Would you ever steal a stranger's purse just to get something that you desire badly? With the fear of possibly going to jail if you fail the attempt? In the story "Thank You Ma'm," a boy named Roger wanted a pair of blue suede shoes, so he decided to steal a stranger's purse. However, Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones did not send him to jail, but instead, she took Roger home and taught him a lesson. With the intention of teaching Roger to do the right thing, Mrs. Jones took him home. She told him to wash his face and offered him food, she asked Roger why he tried to steal her pocketbook, and she did not send him to jail like most people would have done. The reason why Mrs. Jones took Roger home was because she wanted to tell him that stealing is not the right way to get what he desires, and she does not want Roger to make the same mistake as she did when she was young. …show more content…
Jones could simply call the police and take Roger to jail, she decided to take Roger home and teach him the right thing to do. Mrs. Jones said, "I have done things, too, which I would not tell you, son-neither tell God, if he didn't already know." (Hughes, page 39) Mrs. Jones have done things similar to what Roger did to earn the things she desired when she was young, too, so she knows how Roger feels. She can see her younger self in Roger and she wants to help him, she does not want Roger to fall for the same mistake that she did before. Therefore, she understood that punishing Roger will not make him recognize his mistake. It is when she puts herself into his shoes that can change his mindset. Another reason was that Mrs. Jones wants to correct Roger from doing the wrong thing, she wants to tell him that stealing is not the right way to fulfill his personal